Before leaving for the Memorial Day congressional recess, the House passed a package of tax “extenders” (HR 4213) by a vote of 215 to 204. It retroactively extended a number of expired provisions of interest to the higher education community, including: the tuition deduction, the ability to “rollover” Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) without penalty; and,…

In April, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the Keep Our Educators Working Act of 2010 –cosponsored by Senator Patty Murray and 28 other Democratic Senators. The legislation provided for $23 billion to be distributed to governors to save or create K-12 and higher education jobs. According to the formula in the bill, the State of…

After a couple of procedural setbacks, the House of Representatives passed a 5-year reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act on Friday May 28th. The legislation provides for 7% annual increases to the budgets of the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Office of Science, and National Institutes of Standards and Technology -keeping them on a…

FLOOR ACTION The Senate continues consideration of the fiscal 2010 supplemental appropriations bill (HR 4899). On Tuesday, the House is expected to consider several measures under suspension of the rules. Later in the week, the House could also consider a motion to concur in the Senate amendment with a House amendment to a bill (HR…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) published in the Federal Register on Friday, May 21, 2010 a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) outlining new Responsibility of Applicants for Promoting Objectivity in Research for which Public Health Service Funding is Sought and Responsible Prospective Contractors – NIH’s Financial Conflict of Interest policy (75FR 28688). The text…

NOAA has been responding to the Deepwater Horizon incident and providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services. We are also waiting for action on the FY10 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill (H.R. 4899), which the Senate is set to consider starting Monday. On May 12, the Administration requested $20 M from Congress for supplemental…

The House of Representatives has run into difficulty in pasing the reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act. After failing to advance to a final vote last week, because of passage of a motion to send the legislation back to committee for additional consideration, on Wednesday May 19th the House failed to pass a revamped version…

FLOOR ACTION The House will reconvene on Tuesday to bote on a number of minor bills and resolutions. They are also expected to consider HR 4213, the American Workers, State and Business Relief Act of 2010, a bill to extend expired tax provisions and a bill that would reauthorize science and technology programs that was…

Yesterday, Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) released their newly revised and long awaited energy and climate bill. Some of the key provisions of the legislation released today: Sets a “price collar” on carbon emissions, including predictable floor and a ceiling price. Industrial sources of carbon emissions are not regulated until 2016, after…

SENATE FLOOR The chamber will continue to consider a bill to overhaul financial regulations (S 3217, Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010). The debate is expected to last all week, with votes beginning on Tuesday. HOUSE FLOOR The House returns on Tuesday to vote on some minor resolutions. Later in the week, the House…